Waltham Abbey is a suburban market town in the Epping Forest District of Essex. Located on the Greenwich Meridian, between the River Lea in the west and Epping Forest in the east, the town is 14 miles from central London and lies on the outskirts of North East London, with the Metropolitan Green Belt to the north, east and south of the town. For statistical purposes, Waltham Abbey is included in the metropolitan area of London and the Greater London Urban Area.
It is one of the possible resting places, along with Bosham, of King Harold Godwinson, who died in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
The town takes its name from and is renowned for its former abbey, the last in England to be dissolved, now the Abbey Church of Waltham Holy Cross, a scheduled ancient monument. The town is within the large civil parish of Waltham Abbey which was known as Waltham Holy Cross until 1974. The parish has a town council and is twinned with the German town of Hörstel.